Mileage: 1,012
Economy: 47.2mpg
We always make sure we run a diverse group of cars on the Auto Express fleet: from pick-up trucks to lightweight sports cars and executive saloons to hybrids, they have all been subjected to extended tests by our team over the past few months. But the latest arrival in our car park, the Honda Jazz, has given us a chance to live with two very similar models back-to-back.
Picture editor Dawn Grant is five months into running a Suzuki Baleno, while I’ve only just taken custody of the Jazz, yet this is the benchmark the Honda has to beat, so what better way to set its stall out than with a quick comparison?
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Both these small cars are aimed at the more rational, practical end of the supermini market, offering impressive levels of space and versatility. Neither the Jazz nor the Baleno makes much of an attempt to be sporty, and both have an honest, no-nonsense charm as a result.
Targeting the same kind of buyers means the Jazz and Baleno have faced off before, so when welcoming the Honda to our fleet it felt like a good idea to revisit what it needs to deliver over the next six months.
Our top-spec EX Navi model matches the Baleno for standard equipment. Both cars come fitted with a touchscreen sat-nav, as well as climate control, a DAB radio and a rear-view camera. However, the Suzuki’s cruise control is adaptive unlike the Jazz’s conventional system.
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Autonomous emergency braking is included as standard as well, but we’ve already found the system sometimes too keen to warn of potential collisions, even in its most relaxed setting.
We think the Jazz is the bolder choice in our test model’s Sunset Orange paint finish – a no-cost option – while inside the Honda has more of a solid and expensive feel than the Suzuki.
And so it should. At £16,755 it costs £2,506 more than the Baleno – no amount of soft-touch plastic on the dashboard can make up for that. Plus, as we found out when we tested the two models together, the Suzuki’s punchy 1.0-litre turbo petrol feels faster and more modern than the Jazz’s 1.3-litre non-turbo unit.
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But the Honda’s engine isn’t without its charm. Peak torque doesn’t arrive until a heady 5,000rpm, meaning you have to keep it on the boil to make progress.
• Honda Jazz vs Suzuki Baleno vs Nissan Note
It’s helped by the sweet six-speed manual gearbox, which allows you to really make the most of the Jazz’s modest 101bhp output.
Even though there’s no turbocharger to improve efficiency, fuel economy has been good. So far I’m averaging an impressive 47.2mpg over a mix of driving. The Honda is more fun to drive than you might expect thanks to its accurate steering, although there’s plenty of body roll and the ride can be a little skittish around town.
It’s the space I’m looking forward to putting to the test most, though. The Jazz will frequently find itself fully loaded with luggage for airport runs, where the Magic Seats in the rear are sure to come into their own, or crammed with five full-sized adults when I’m called on to ferry friends around, so it’ll need to be versatile.
Insurance quote (below) provided by AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old living in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.
- Model: Honda Jazz 1.3 i-VTEC EX Navi
- On fleet since: October 2016
- Price new: £16,755
- Engine: 1.3-litre 4cyl petrol 101bhp
- CO2/tax: 120g/km/£30
- Options: Floor mats (£75)
- Insurance*: Group: 13E/Quote: £480
- Mileage: 1,012
- Economy: 47.2mpg
- Any problems?: Sensitive tyre pressure warning system